Re: Adult leadership/Involvement
Settummanque, the blackeagle (waltoml@WKUVX1.WKU.EDU)
Wed, 10 Nov 1993 09:45:52 CST
"Chris Haggerty, Sierra Vista, Arizona" writes:
>If people still refuse to sign up and drive, even after being called,
>CANCEL ALL EVENTS. (Even those with drivers.) Be sure everyone knows you
>plan to do this and stick by this threat, even if it means you miss an
>outing. Odds are the SCOUTS will really chew out their parents for you!
I second Chris's suggestions about planning the program out a year in
advance AND in getting parents' committments. I also second his
comments about cancelling events if we don't have enough parental
support.
Short shory to illustrate Chris's suggestions: As a Scoutmaster in
Europe, frequently I had to go on "exercises" which took me away from
the post where I was stationed, and pretty much on a short suspense
(like in one day, you will go to Hohenfels, or to Wildflecken (yuck!!
I'm GLAD those two places went out of business!!!) to set up some
silly radio link.
Those "exercises" left me in a bind many times, because over that
weekend would be a planned campout involving my Troop. While my
military boss (the Commander of the Battation I was assigned to) was
understanding, he had a job to do and I was part of that job. Even
with his son in the Troop as a junior leader (another story for
another time!).
So, it was up to my First Assistant, the Troop Committee and the
parents of the Scouts to "take up the slack" for me and to take them.
The first time this happened, and we cancelled the campout because of
lack of supervision, I had Scouts_and_parents meet me at my home two
weeks later, asking me "why did you cancel it!! I was ready to go!"
When I explained that there MUST be parents or someone there over 21
during the whole time (my Assistant Scoutmasters were called out to
the field a week later to find some device lost by a fellow soldier),
the parents chimed in "I could have done this, as long as I don't have
to teach something (parents are really wild about this "teaching
something" thing. They would rather drive or bake cookies than to
"teach something") to the boys".
The next Court of Honor, I explained that due to my job and the
willingness of my boss to treat me no differently than any other
officer in his unit with regards to my job (what I am being paid to
do), there WILL be more times like this in the future and that I need
their support in "taking up the slack". If not, I will cancel the
event, something I don't like to do but something I HAVE to do, and
something I WILL do.
I also told the Troop that if we don't get at least four boys to go on
a camping or other outing event, the event would be cancelled as well.
>Yes, I hate to see the scouts miss an outing, but remember, Scouting is a
>family activity and you do need to get the family active if you are going
>to be successful in the long run. If they cannot drive, give them an
>option doing something else for the troop.
>LAST, WHEN SOMEONE DOES OFFER TO HELP, LET THEM! I have know of many
>scoutmasters who like to do it all and rarely let anyone help and then at
>the moment they are tired, they say we are not going to do it because noone
>is helping!
I have NEVER shunned away free help! I can ALWAYS come up with
SOMETHING for them to do, if nothing else but to help cart out
equipment. I do also know of several Scoutmasters that want to do
things "all by myself" and not involve anyone else in the process. To
those turkeys, I can only say "you were approached and you turned it
down".
Well...off to work. I just wanted to add my brief two pennies in on
this!
Settummanque!
Mike L. Walton
Greenwood, Kentucky
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( Settummanque, the blackeagle... ) )
( (MAJ) Mike L. Walton (among other "endearing" names) ( )
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